Determined to Win
by nick-a-nu
Summary: Once a year this town becomes the focus for all manner of beasts. They come from all over, for all different purposes. Some to fight, others betting and still others to take advantage of the circus like chaos. The fighters come to pit themselves against one another. And among them this year a young dark-haired cat, with a smart mouth and healthy ego will try her luck in the ring.
1. Chapter 1 Determined to Win

The door swung open to a dimly lit, partially crowded parlor. Monrey surveyed over the random groups of patrons heavy in conversation. The look on her face lightened when she caught site of the dark corner of the room. There, sitting in a booth was the person she had spent the last hour looking for.

With a grin she began crossing the room in a determined stride. She weaved her way in between tables filled with large, ominous looking creatures.

They would pause with quick glances over shoulders, and from tops of mugs filled with ale. Before quickly returning to their conversation.

Either not noticing or pretending not to notice she boldly cut a path to the small figure in the far booth.

Coming to a stop at the edge of the table she hesitated. There before her were several stack of dishes at least five high. Most picked clean others with small scraps of food sticking out from between them.

In the seat sat a young, dark-haired cat.

She was slumped in her seat with her long legs outstretched and crossed, her feet resting on the cushion of the opposite seat. Her hands folded on her stomach and head down appearing to be asleep.

"You know," Monrey announced. "I've been looking everywhere for you. You'll never guess what I heard."

She stood there for a second, expecting a response but got none. Not even a flinch of recognition came from the individual in the booth.

Monrey stood there with contempt increasing on her face. With an upward twitch of her eyebrow and a quick inhale she shrieked, "Siamera!"

The room around her fell silent as the surrounding mainly male creatures laid their gaze upon her once again. And again either not caring or not noticing she ignored them.. Choosing only to intensely stare at the one in the booth.

Siamera opened her eyes slowly panned them up to the, at this point hovering monkey next to her. She opened her mouth but before she could utter a word Monrey continued.

"I come here with a juicy piece of information,"

she said putting her hands on her hips, thrust her nose in the air. "But if this is the way you act then perhaps I won't tell you," she held that pose for a couple seconds before one eye peering back down at Siamera, who seemed to have faded back into sleep.

With a huff Monrey flopped down on the opposite seat with such force both of Siamera's knees flew up and crashed into the bottom of the table, setting the stacks of dishes rattling.

"You know," Monrey said plopping both elbows on the table. "I don't think you truly appreciate me as a friend."

"No?" the now wide-eyed Siamera reply.

"No," she echoed back. "Here I am bringing you important info and you couldn't be bothered."

"Let's have it then," Siamera snapped quickly.

"Oh no," drawled Monrey. "You're far to busy with your little cat nap."

She glared at Monrey, watching her flick crumbs of food off her side of the table.

"If you're not going to tell me then move your scrawny ass and let me sleep," Siamera hissed before sinking deeper in her seat.

"Fine, fine," grinned Monrey with a permanent case of selective hearing. She continued, "I'll tell you but only because you begged."

"You know that little casino down by the waterfront? …..the one called The Bees Knees."

Siamera gave an unenthused nod.

"Well," she went on "There I was playing a titillating game of poker. When guess what?"

"You lost all your money," Siamera quickly blurted out.

Monrey who obviously didn't intend for Siamera to actually answer her question, shot her a annoyed look. "Really," she replied, "Me lose money….ha."

With a quick shake of her head she picked up the story again, "Anyway, there I was with a hand of four distinguished gents. When I happened to overhear some of what the other players were talking about." She paused for dramatic effect. "Silex of all people…."

"Who?" Siamera asked.

Monrey's mouth dropped open, "Who?" she repeated with a dumbfounded look on her face. "The person you'll be fighting tomorrow, you know in your match!" her voice rose above the clatter of the small honky-tonk yet again. But the nearby crowd didn't seem to react this time. It appeared they had lost interest in the loudmouth, little monkey.

"How could you not remember the name of your opponent?" Monrey asked, staring at her in disbelief.

"I'm not good with names," she sharply answered.

Monrey sighed, putting her hand on her forhead.

"I guessed their name really doesn't matter," she added. "But the information I got definitely matters. It seems this guy is….," she stopped as she watched Siamera get up from the table. "Where you going?" asked Monrey looking up at her. Siamera rummaging around in her pocket pulling out a handful of coins. Laying them on the table she looked down at Monrey. "I prefer to learn what I need to know on the battlefield, not through hearsay."

"But-but," Monrey stuttered "What could it hurt to know a little bit about your opponent?"

"Trust me it's better this way," Siamera replied walking away from the table.

Monrey quickly sat up on her knees and yelled, "You know I bet a lot of money on you, so you better win!"

"Don't worry I will!" She shouted back as she strolled through the heart of the room…

The men grew silent as she passed, their eyes narrowed with anger at her cocky attitude. But Siamera simply smirked as she left the small tavern. If they had something to say, they could save it for tomorrow, when the annual Combat Battles begin…


	2. Chapter 2 Tense but Ready

NOTE= (The fist chapter I had help from a friend with editing but this one is all me so there's bound to be a few mistakes. English was not my best subject but I can't keep relying on my friends help, nope got to do this myself, so hope ya like it. ^_^ )...

The high afternoon sun washed out the stadium grounds in a bright, blinding light. It bled it's way in to the darkened hall were Siamera stood. She listen to the murmur of the announcer and the occasional roar of the crowd.

Another year, another chance to fight the best in the lands. She wouldn't admit it but her body is tense with a sort of nervous anticipation. She concentrated on the large, arched doorway that open to the dirt arena. Her mind alive with all the possibilities of what await her the moment she steps into the ring.

"Is it my imagination," a sudden voice called her back to the present. " Or do you look rather nervous? "

Her attention is pulled from the doorway to the hall behind her. Where a petite, orange haired monkey sits perched on a railing.

"How the hell did you get back here," Siamera asked?

"Well," said Monrey, with a large cheeky grin. "I have a talent for being places I ain't supposed to be."

"What do you want?" Siamera asked darkly, a unimpressed scowl forming on her face.

"Just thought I'd pop in to see how you're doing and." she paused leaning back to peer down one end of the hall and then the other. "To tell you I happen to have seeing this Silex we talked about."

"Who?" Siamera replied.

"Really, that again," she shot back, jumping down off the banister.

Siamera gave her a faint smirk till the sudden roar of the crowd called her focus back to the doorway.

"I hope you don't mind me saying this but." Monrey delayed, noticing Siamera abrupt shift in attention. "This one might be a handful… even for you."

Siamera puzzled, "he's has you that worry does he?"

"This guy doesn't look like a pushover," Monrey responded. "He's big and when I say big, I mean BIG." Her eyes bulged a little more each time she repeated the word.

Siamera with a sudden confident look, "as they say the bigger they are…" "The harder they fall," Monrey finished. "You'd just better hope he doesn't fall on you," she quickly added.

"I wonder though," said Siamera. "If it's actually me you're worried about or all the money you lose, if I lose.

Monrey's face twisted into a state of shock.

"I….ah…m…" her mouth bobs open and shut as if the ability to speak is suddenly foreign to her.

"The nerve," she finally managed to squeak out.

"I come here worried about you…. and do you care…..noooo, all you do is insult me. Honestly, I question why I ever became your friend."

She waits, arms crossed for Siamera to respond but Siamera's attention is elsewhere. It seemed Monrey's mini rant had caused a small, sliver of paper to fall out of her pocket landing at her feet. Siamera eyes fixed on it, Monrey follow her gaze and spots it. Her eyes widened, she quickly longed for it but she was to late, Siamera swiftly snatched it off the ground. Monrey struggled trying to take it back but all Siamera had to do was hold it high above her head.

The small monkey jumps frantically, waving her arms about trying desperately to regain it.

"What's this." Siamera smirked, with a strategically placed palm to Monrey face, pushing her back down. "It mothing, jusr a piece of trmash," she answered from the other side of Siamera's hand.

"It don't look like nothing," said Siamera examining the paper closer. "In fact it looks like a betting receipt….. Or a change of betting receipt, from me to Silex."

"So friend," she added, sounding amused. "What's with the sudden lack of confidence in me?"

"It's nothing personal," she said, finally managing to grab the ticket back from Siamera hand. "I just have a hunch and where my hunches go, I follow." She quickly shoved the piece of paper down the front of her shirt.

Siamera didn't have a chance to respond, a dull voice echoed out from the far end of the hallway. "they're calling you to the arena," said Monrey, happy for a diversion from they're current conversation.

"So I heard," said Siamera in a soft voice.

After a long exhale she began walking to the end of the hall. But before stepping out she glanced back at Monrey. "Before I go, I wanted to thank you." A quick look of surprise races across Monrey's face. "I always do my best when someone doubts me." Then she turns and disappears into the bright afternoons sunlight.


	3. Chapter 3 Face to Face

The light stung her eyes, a few seconds pass before everything regained its color. The dirt arena, the high granite walls, the thousands of spectators staring down on her all came within focus.

As well as the large figure standing in the center of the ring. The closer she got the more she realized Monrey was right, he's big….and hairy.

He had to be every bit of eight feet tall and nearly as wide….

"No big deal," she muttered to herself. "I've fought bigger." This attempt to comfort herself failed though. The confidence she proudly displayed just a few minutes ago had taken a serious blow….but hadn't vanished entirely…

She stops, looking up at this massive beast of a man who towers over her five foot seven frame.

"You to be my next victim," he asked through a heavy accent of some kind.

"Let's wait until the match is over then decided who's the victim," she responded in her best nonchalant manner.

A roar of laughter erupted from this mountain of hair standing before her. "You're a funny one," he said offering his hand for the customary handshake, "I like you."

Her hand looked like a child's in his giant paw. The announcers voice rang out again, "fighters will return to the designated area and wait for the starting bell!"

She turned and walked to a crudely drawn X in the dirt. The crowd took this opportunity to come alive, everything from cheers to boos and even the occasional catcall echoed it's way down to the two fighters.

Siamera nervously waits for anything that might sound like a bell, worried she wouldn't be able to hear it over the crowds yells.

Then a sudden burst of sound screeches out for one of the high towers, she could feel the vibrations under her feet and in her stomach. It quickly subsided leaving them standing there just staring each other down.

The crowd went from roaring to complete silence within a split second. Each one eyes glued to the middle of the ring. The two fighters begin moving but not towards each other, rather circling one another, slowly, each in the opposite directions.

You could feel the tension from all the onlookers as they wait for that first strike. They didn't have to wait long, Silex brought out his sword, holding it at arms length for a moment before charging, his huge feet hitting the dirt like sledgehammers.

In no time he was before her swinging his giant sword straight at her midsection, trying in one swing to slice her in half. She leaps, her feet clearing the blade so close she can feel her toenails glide across the swords smooth surface.

She lands but before she can gain any kind of composure he comes slicing after her again.

Despite his size he was quite fast, she knows to have any chance of winning she must get the sword out of his hands.

She could feel the breeze from each one of his strikes as they pass by her. She dances back dodging the barrage.

He strikes out nearly catching her in the four head but ducking it by inches she sees it, an opening. Giving up strength for speech she quickly seizes it, hitting him three times in the kidney. He winces falling forward but Siamera jumps raising her knee and catching him squarely on the jaw. The sound of teeth mashing barely diminishes before she brings down her leg landing it nicely on the back of his head, sending him face first in the dirt. She jumps away watching him as he wavers trying to pick himself up. In that instance she feels her whole body shudder as adrenaline pumps through her, all the way to her fingertips.

"So," she grins watching him clutching his side…. "How do you like me now?"


	4. Chapter 4 A Confident Look

"An arrogant one you are," he said between long, labored breaths.

"You're mistaking confidence for arrogance," Siamera replied, "a rather common mistake."

Slowly raising his sword, he points it at her. "Let's see how confident you'll be after I cut off a limb or two."

"If you're feeling froggy…." she smiles. "Then jump," motioning with her hands for him to charge her.

He laughs as he draws his sword back and runs straight for her again. She braces herself for his attack but inches before reaching her he propels himself in the air. Lifting his giant sword up over his head as his large form blocks out the sun, then plummets down over her. Siamera roles out of the way right before the sword buries itself in the arena ground.

"Didn't think he'd take me literally," she quietly, muttered to herself.

Pulling his sword from the dirt, "for someone so confident you runaway a awful lot."

"As opposed to getting my head cut off, yeah I guess I kind a do," Siamera replied, picking herself up off the ground.

"All the dodging in the world will not protect you for long!" He yelled charging at her again.

She jumps away as once more his blade flies at her. The fight intensifies as Silex attacks comes faster and more vicious then before, it is all Siamera can do to keep one step ahead of his sword.

But soon she finds herself running out of ground as the granite walls approach from behind.

she decides the time to disarm him is now at hand. Using the stone wall behind her as a step, she quickly ricochets up spanning the distance between their sizes.

Before Silex can react she slams his wrist with a hard kick, causing the sword to fly out of his grasp and through the air. It glints in the sun as it spirals up to the stands while bystanders quickly scatter out of it's path. It lands, piercing one of the recently abandoned bleacher seats.

"Well," Siamera smiles. "Some lucky fan will be taking home a little souvenir tonight."

His face tightened with anger, it appears he is no longer amused by her little remarks.

"You think you're safe now," he warned.

Before she could make her quick retort, his knuckles met her face.

Sending her colliding with the wall behind her, she slid down to the hot dirt.

For a moment the world around her blends into a simple mess and all definition is gone.

Her vision focuses as the large blur approaching her takes shape. She quickly ducks down as Silex's fist strikes the wall behind her, cracking it.

He leans, down coming close to Siamera's face, "funny, you don't look so confident anymore."


	5. Chapter 5 A Challenge

This is bad, the thought runs through her mind. She strikes out with her foot almost on impulse, it was a feeble attempt to separate them. But all she hits is air and with her amazement at that fact she gave him an opening. As the next thing she knows is his strong fingers wrapping around her ankle. Oh this is really bad, the thought echoed louder.

She felt herself become weightless, thrown through the air like a stick for a dog by its master. With no way of softening the blow she skips like a blunt stone across the surface of the arena dirt. After a couple of good bounces she manages to roll to a stop clear across the stadium floor.

She is still for a moment or two until she's able to move, it takes everything in her to ignore all the aches and pains as she slowly lifts herself up.

"Why so quiet," Silex asked proudly, strolling back to the center of the arena. "Cat got your tongue."

"Cute," she replies, spitting a small mixture of sand and blood. "Real cute," wiping her mouth with the back of her hand she wonders.

I may have made a mistake, she eyes him from across the way. He's faster than before, it's harder for me to predict his next move. Maybe, just maybe I was too hasty in getting rid of that heavy sword, now he has nothing slowing him down.

No, she thinks, straightening her gauntlet. Just because he's faster doesn't make him unstoppable, she smiles and whispers to the air, "I just have to be sharper."

Maybe noticing her change in resolved he calls out from the center of the ring. "You know, we can stop right here…. Just say the word, I won't think any less of you." He smiles a sickening grin, something about it irritates her immensely….

"don't take this personally," she yelled back, deepening her already intense stare. "But I couldn't give a damn what you think of me."

"Well then, you can't say I didn't give you a fair chance to back out," Silex added, flexing his shoulders.

"We need to dance this ballet till it's conclusion," Siamera declares, planning her feet firmly in the ground. "Are neither one of us will be satisfied."

Silex chuckles a throaty laugh, "I was right, I do like you."

"Just keep telling yourself that," she asserted charging at him, this catches him off guard. It is something she hasn't done yet, he has been the one to attack first. Though she is too far to make a complete surprise attack, as he counters her approach with a swift kick.

She abruptly ducks it, spinning under and quickly sweep kicks his remaining leg.

He buckles, like a tower he crumbles to the ground. Or so it would appear for at the last instant he rebounds with the grace that Siamera had only seen from the Masters of Diu Exitus.

It is then she realizes what Monrey was trying to tell her, unlike the rest of the beasts here he has had training. He's not some glory hound or hired thug searching for easy money. He's here for a purpose, quite possibly the same reason she is.

A challenge….

She doesn't let her new realization slow her so as she hastily ups her attack. The two are locked in battle again, luckily for Siamera the hits she isn't able to dodge she blocks.

Knowing this too wouldn't last, all he needs is one good blow and she wouldn't be getting up again.

I have to end it now, before I become too tired to keep up this pace.

There is only one possible move in her bag of tricks that will end it once and for all. But she knows it comes with complications.

Even if she does it right it will cost a price but at this rate she doesn't have much option.

She breaks away retreating to a good distance. Silex is first shocked at this sudden change, he relaxes his guard. "Have you changed your mind about giving up," he asks in a slight wheeze.

She stands silent several feet away from him, her long legs staggered, toes spread gripping the dirt and her arms angled strangely. Taking in the odd site he seems puzzled as does the crowd, all except for one.

Monrey instantly sits up in her seat, "is she out of her mind!?"

She jumps to her feet. "She is going to get herself killed…or worse," she proclaims, startling the man sitting in front of her. She yells her objections from her seat far up in the nosebleeds but they are lost among the crowd. In an attempt to get better range she clamps her hands down on the poor man's shoulders startling him even more. "You fool,….what on third earth do you think you're doing!" she bellows, proceeding to practically client on top of the baffled man's shoulders.

Down in the ring Silex is at a complete loss on how to approach Siamera.

With the large amount of openings in her stance he could take her down easily but something about it alarms him. He has fought many others but never seen anything like it before, the fact that her eyes are closed as if in meditation hits him the oddest. "Just what are you trying at," he hollers.

Again she doesn't respond, his hair stands on end with anger but he quickly brushes it off and calms himself . "I see," he laughs "you're out of ideas and you're trying to confuse me…..it won't work." her silence continues, he's obviously talking to himself, his anger returns worse than before.

"Fuck it," he grumbles and tears after her throwing his caution away.

She feels his approach but continues to meditate, the only movement is from her chest as she breathes in and out. Time now seems to slow as the blood pumps to her limbs. He's even closer now she could just about feel his breath but she remains motionless. Not until he is upon her, his fist speeding towards her face does she move. Dodging the hit she forces her way inside his massive arms. Lifting her hand slowly to her core than striking in a almost unseen speed, hitting his chest dead center.

His body is thrown back in an nearly unnatural sight. For something so big to be thrown so far the eyes strain to conceive it. Where he lands a cloud of dust envelopes him.

Silence fills the arena as both Siamera and the crowd weights anxiously for any sign of movement from the haze….

As the dust veil settles a shadow emerges and her heart drops. They're still on his feet stood Silex, in her disbelief Siamera ignores the dull pain radiating from her wrist. Her body grows cold with the realization that her only hope has failed. Silex takes one step towards his dumbfounded opponent, a cool smile on his face. But by the second step his smile has melted away replaced by a dull look. By the third step he had lost all sense of poise as he wobbles greatly then sinks to his knees, with one more dim look at Siamera he flops face first back into the dirt that has just settled. It took a few minutes for the audience and Siamera to fully grasp what has just occurred….

She has just won the fight….


End file.
